Traces of the king's troops are perceived. Orontes, a Persian
nobleman, a relation of Cyrus, offers to go forward with a body of
cavalry, and lay an ambush for the king's army. Before he sets out,
however, he is found to be in correspondence with the king, and is
put to death.
1. As they advanced from this place, the footsteps and dung of horses
were observed, and the track was conjectured to be that of about two
thousand cavalry. These, as they went before, had burnt all the fodder,
and whatever else might have been of use to Cyrus. And here Orontes, a
Persian, by birth connected with the king, and reckoned one of the
ablest of the Persians in the field, turned traitor to Cyrus; with whom,
indeed, he had previously been at strife, but had been reconciled to
him. 2. He now told Cyrus, that if he would give him a thousand horse,
he would either cut off, by lying in ambush, the body of cavalry that
were burning all before them, or would take the greater number of them
prisoners, and hinder them from consuming everything in their way, and
prevent them from ever informing the king that they had seen the army of
Cyrus. Cyrus, when he heard his proposal, thought it advantageous; and
desired him to take a certain number of men from each of the different
commanders.
3. Orontes, thinking that he had secured the cavalry, wrote a letter to
the king, saying that he would come to him with as many horse as he
could obtain; and he desired him to give directions to his own cavalry
to receive him as a friend. There were also in the letter expressions
reminding the king of his former friendship and fidelity to him. This
letter he gave to a man, upon whom, as he believed, he could depend, but
who, when he received it, carried it to Cyrus. 4. Cyrus, after reading
the letter, caused Orontes to be arrested, and summoned to his own tent
seven of the most distinguished Persians of his staff, and desired the
Greek generals to bring up a body of heavy-armed men, who should arrange
themselves under arms around his tent. They did as he desired, and
brought with them about three thousand heavy-armed soldiers. 5.
Clearchus he called in to assist at the council, as that officer
appeared, both to himself and to the rest, to be held most in honour
among the Greeks. Afterwards, when Clearchus left the council, he
related to his friends how the trial of Orontes was conducted; for there
was no injunction of secrecy. He said, that Cyrus thus opened the
proceedings:
6. "I have solicited your attendance, my friends, in order that, on
consulting with you, I may do, with regard to Orontes here before you,
whatever may be thought just before gods and men. In the first place,
then, my father appointed him to be subject to me. And when afterwards,
by the command, as he himself states, of my brother, he engaged in war
against me, having possession of the citadel of Sardis, I, too, took up
arms against him, and made him resolve to desist from war with me; and
then I received from him, and gave him in return, the right-hand of
friendship. 7. And since that occurrence," he continued, "is there
anything in which I have wronged you?" Orontes replied that there was
not. Cyrus again asked him, "And did you not then subsequently, when, as
you own yourself, you had received no injury from me, go over to the
Mysians, and do all the mischief in your power to my territories?"
Orontes answered in the affirmative. "And did you not then," continued
Cyrus, "when you had thus again proved your strength, come to the altar
of Diana, and say that you repented, and, prevailing upon me by
entreaties, give me, and receive from me in return, pledges of mutual
faith?" This, too, Orontes acknowledged. 8. "What injury, then,"
continued Cyrus, "have you received from me, that you are now, for the
third time, discovered in traitorous designs against me?" Orontes saying
that he had received no injury from him, Cyrus asked him, "You confess,
then, that you have acted unjustly towards me?" "I am necessitated to
confess it," replied Orontes. Cyrus then again inquired, "And would you
yet become an enemy to my brother, and a faithful friend to me?" Orontes
answered, "Though I should become so, O Cyrus, I should no longer appear
so to you." 9. On this, Cyrus said to those present, "Such are this
man's deeds, and such his confessions. And now, do you first, O
Clearchus, declare your opinion, whatever seems right to you." Clearchus
spoke thus: "I advise, that this man be put out of the way with all
despatch; that so it may be no longer necessary to be on our guard
against him, but that we may have leisure, as far as he is concerned, to
benefit those who are willing to be our friends." 10. In this opinion,
Clearchus said, the rest concurred. Afterwards, by the direction of
Cyrus, all of them, even those related to the prisoner, rising from
their seats, took Orontes by the girdle,[51] in token that he was to
suffer death; when those to whom directions had been given, led him
away. And when those saw him pass, who had previously been used to bow
before him, they bowed before him as usual, though they knew he was
being led to execution.
11. After he had been conducted into the tent of Artapatas, the most
confidential of Cyrus's sceptre-bearers,[52] no one from that time ever
beheld Orontes either living or dead, nor could any one say, from
certain knowledge, in what manner he died. Various conjectures were
made; but no burial-place of him was ever seen.
[Footnote 51: This was a custom among the Persians on such occasions, as
is expressly signified by Diodorus Siculus, xvii. 30 in his account of
the condemnation of Charidemus, at the command of Darius.]
[Footnote 52: Σκηπτούχων.] "Eunuchs, who, by the institution of Cyrus
the elder, formed the king's body-guard. See Cyrop. vii. 5. 58."
_Zeune_.]